The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Ride North

Our Spring Training Ride presented by Durham Tourism has reached capacity. Thank you to all the Riders who secured their spots quickly.

Some riders show up with strong legs. Others arrive with strong hearts. Marvin Esquivel and Team Tour De Friends bring both…and then some.

A familiar face at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation cycling events, Marvin knows cancer does not define someone’s worth, strength, or humanity. That belief was forged through watching the strongest fighter he has ever known: his mom.

Her cancer journey began in 2008. It returned in 2018. She battled courageously through 2019 to 2021. Through radiation, chemo, MRIs, unbearable waiting, and the unknown, Marvin witnessed resilience at its rawest.

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre made those final years possible. It gave her, and her family, time. Time filled with grit, grace, and moments that still feel like yesterday: hallway walks with an IV pole, treatment days, post-surgery hope, and Marvin’s unforgettable image of his mom waiting at the finish line of his first Ride in 2019.

“That place became a second home for my mom,” Marvin reflects. “In my heart, it still feels like a home away from home — a place where battles are won, and sadly lost, every single day. But above all, it’s a place of hope.”

That hope is what keeps Marvin riding. 2026 marks his eighth year supporting The Princess Margaret, with countless hours of training, sweat, and cramps behind him.

It’s also what brings his team, Tour De Friends, together.

For the past two years, the team has joined us in Muskoka, taking on the 100km route. Together, they gutted it out; not because it was easy, but because cancer is harder. In 2025 alone, Tour De Friends raised $4,490.50, contributing to our collective total of $1.57 million raised. Since 2019, their team has raised more than $28,000 toward cancer research, helping fuel breakthroughs — particularly in immunotherapy — that are changing lives.

From all of us at Ride North: thank you, Marvin and Tour De Friends, for carrying the fire and reminding us why we Ride.

The Carry The Fire podcast is back for Season 2.

Listen to powerful, personal stories from authors, athletes, musicians, and content creators as they speak with legendary Canadian broadcaster Lisa Laflamme about their challenges, resilience, and hopes for a world free from the fear of cancer.

https://thepmcf.ca/podcast/